Computers, controllers and other electronic equipment (hereinafter referred to as Electronic Equipment) in industrial environments may be networked over cables. Unfortunately, networked electronic equipment used in industrial environments are susceptible to dust and moisture intrusion from the industrial environment in which they are used. For example, networked electronic equipment may be used to control an assembly line's operation. Because many of the connections necessary to connect the electronic equipment may be on the factory floor along with the assembly line controlled, the electronic equipment may operate in the factory floor environment. Many times this may mean that the electronic equipment and their corresponding connections are exposed to moist and/or dusty production process as well as cleaning processes.
Due to the aforementioned dust and moisture intrusion problems, connection types normally used, for example, in an office environment, may fail due to the aforementioned dust and moisture intrusion. Yet, these same “office environment” connectors are the standard and many times the most desired connectors to connect some of these pieces of electronic equipment. Due to the time, cost and difficulty involved in making these assemblies on the factory floor, not to mention the cost of the testing equipment necessary to insure the finished cables will perform properly, most users of industrial Ethernet products purchase very expensive pre-made cables. This solution does not afford the user the ability to use the low cost, mass produced cables that are generally used in the office environments that are readily available through many different outlets.